The modern office environment utilizes large numbers of electrified apparatus such as typewriters, computers and the like so that the electrical power demands are significant. These demands have been significantly affected by the dramatic increase in the use of small computers throughout offices, which computers generally employ not only numerous power cables, but also communication cables so as to permit individual workstations to be networked together or connected to a main frame computer. The typical office also has need for other power or communication connections, such as connections for telephones and the like. A typical office hence has numerous power and communication cables which extend to and connect to typical equipment mounted on a work surface such as a table or desk. In many modern offices, the open office concept is employed, wherein large open office areas are divided by systems of upright wall panels which mount thereon accessories such as work tables, the latter commonly being referred to as "work surfaces". Due to the amount of equipment positioned on the work surfaces and the substantial number of power and communication cables which extend therefrom, the handling of these cables both on the work surface and in the surrounding environment, such as on the floor, has created a serious problem both with respect to the unsightliness and the inconvenience caused by the cables, and the danger created by the fact that these cables when permitted to lie on the floor can cause tripping of ihdividuals which can be harmful to both people and equipment.
In an attempt to resolve this problem, numerous solutions have been suggested. For example, power receptacles have been mounted in walls or wall panels substantially at table or desk height so as to avoid running cords along the floor, although such receptacles still result in undesirable lengths of power cable being positioned on the desk or work surface so as to significantly interfere with usage of the work surface. Power receptacles have also been provided directly on the upper surface of the work surface, but these obviously possess the same disadvantage. Attempts have also been made to provide a large recessed channel along one edge of the work surface, although such channel is normally accessible by means of a rather large removable cover which in effect does not comprise a usable part of the work surface, so that the resulting structure is both complex and inefficient in that it does not permit efficient utilization of all the available work surface, and does not wholly solve the problem of convenient access to the connectors or elimination of undesired cable lengths.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved work surface structure, either for mounting on a wall panel or for a free standing table or desk, which significantly improves upon the known structures by eliminating or greatly minimizing many of the above-mentioned disadvantages. More specifically, the improved work surface structure of this invention provides a power/communication module integral with the work surface structure. This module is readily and conveniently accessible when desired, but is hidden beneath a door which is flush with and forms a part of the top of the work surface structure so as to hence not interfere with the usability of the overall working surface area. At the same time, this module permits numerous cables such as power and communication (i.e. data) cables to be readily fed into the module for connection to appropriate connectors, and excess lengths of cable can be stored within a compartment of the module to permit only minimal and required lengths of cable to be positioned on the upper working surface. The module also includes additional cable storage compartments which are hidden below the top of the work surface, which additional compartments permit storage therein of excess lengths of power/communication cables which extend from external locations to the module, whereby excess lengths of these cables hence are not running along the floor whereby unsightly and hazardous conditions are hence avoided.
In the work surface structure of this invention, the structure is formed primarily by a top structure which resembles a conventional table or desk top. This top structure defines an enlarged planar working surface. Adjacent the rear edge thereof, the top includes a door which is substantially flush with the working surface when closed, and which when swung upwardly into an open position provides access to a compartment in which is positioned a control module. The control module has a conveniently oriented panel mounting thereon connectors for power and communication cables. Plug-like connectors, such as power plugs or telephone jacks, can hence be appropriately plugged into this control panel. The compartment, in front of the control panel, has appropriate chambers in which excess cable can be stored. The door, when closed, hides the excess cable and the cable connectors, and the cable projects upwardly through deformable strips which extend along the opposite side edges of the door so as to minimize the length of cable which extends along the upper working surface. The compartment for the communication module is formed by an elongated trough-like member which extends longitudinally of the underside of the work surface top adjacent the rearward edge thereof. This trough, preferably on opposite sides of the control panel, defines therein rearwardly-opening cable storage compartments which accommodate excess cable as associated with the power/communication cables which extend from external locations to the control panel so as to permit hidden storage of this excess cable.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.